Best CPUs For Your Money: December 2016

December 2016 Update: What’s new?

– The price of the Intel Core i3-6100 dropped by roughly $15.
– The price of the AMD A10-7860K went down by $10.
– The price of the Intel Core i5-6600K has dropped by $20.
– The prices on the Intel Core i7-6800K and i7-6850K dropped by $60 and $90 respectively.

The Best CPU, Processor or APU For Your Money?

By that, I mean CPUs, processors and APUs that offer unsurpassed performance at a price range. Why would you want that?

Because you want the best bang for the buck, because you want the best CPU for your money and because you want the highest performance possible, right?

If you have the time to do research… but who does in this busy world?

However, I do realize that not everyone has the time to read detailed CPU reviews nor does everyone can make sense of complex CPU specifications.

This is why I write this guide for you: To help you save your time, sanity and money by letting you know what are the best CPUs for your money.

V.S the competition:
The Intel Celeron G3900 is based on Intel’s Skylake architecture and it has no problem outperforming the dual-core 4.0GHz AMD A4-7300 at this price range, thanks to:
1. The dual-core design of this Intel processor (two CPU cores, each with its FP/SSE (Floating Point) unit) is superior to two CPU cores with a shared FP/SSE (Floating Point) unit as seen on AMD’s “dual-core” designs.
2. The higher IPC (Instrutions per Clock) of the Skylake architecture.

On top of outperforming the AMD A4-7300, the Celeron G3900 is also more power efficient, consuming less power at idle and load than its direct competitor.

Best Entry-level CPUs:

If you value single-threaded performance, low-power usage and don’t plan on overclocking, the Intel Pentium G4400 is your best choice at this price point.

If you value single-threaded performance and plan on overclocking, get the Pentium G3258 and an after-market CPU Cooler, such as the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus.

If you value multi-threaded performance and don’t plan on overclocking, get the AMD Athlon X4 845.

If you value multi-threaded performance and do plan on overclocking, get the AMD Athlon X4 860K and an after-market CPU Cooler.

Gaming? Overclocked, the AMD Athlon X4 860K. Not overclocked? The AMD Athlon X4 845. Sure, the Intel Pentium have higher single-threaded performance, but are being held back by being dual core CPUs, which just doesn’t cut it anymore.

The AMD Athlon X4 860K offers good performance out of the box and good overclocking potential
While it uses an older, slightly less efficient than the newer Athlon X4 845, the AMD Athlon X4 860K offers similar performance thanks to its higher frequencies out of the box.

Value wise, it’s hard to beat, especially when you consider that it can easily be overclocked with its unlocked multiplier. Consider an after-market CPU Cooler (Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo) for serious overclocking, because its CPU Cooler is only designed to handle its rated 95W TDP.

The downside is that it uses more power, with its 95W TDP compared to the 65W TDP of the Athlon X4 860K.

Ideal for:
– Budget Gaming PCs with a really tight budget
– Budget Family PCs, to browse the Internet, watch some videos, listen to some music, do some Office work and the like.
– Entry level Office PC on a really tight budget for some work, entry-level Audio/photo/video editing. You’ll be better off with at least a mid-range CPU.

The AMD Athlon X4 845 is based on the newer, higher performance and more power efficient Excavator architecture.
Its product name suggests that it sits below older products like the X4 860K, but don’t be fooled: Thanks to using a more recent AMD architecture, the AMD Athlon X4 845 offers slightly higher performance on average compared to the X4 860K, with both at default frequencies, while using less power, with its 65W TDP compared to the 95W TDP of the Athlon X4 860K.

The downside is that it’s a poor overclocker, so if you plan on overclocking, get the AMD Athlon X4 860K recommended above instead.

Ideal for:
– Budget Gaming PCs with a really tight budget
– Budget Family PCs, to browse the Internet, watch some videos, listen to some music, do some Office work and the like.
– Entry level Office PC on a really tight budget for some work, entry-level Audio/photo/video editing. You’ll be better off with at least a mid-range CPU.

Overclocking alternative:The Pentium G3258 is a quite unique CPU for Intel, because it’s their only fully unlocked CPU that costs only $70. Other unlocked Intel CPUs start at over $200.

Many website and buyers report that it can reach 4.5GHz or more with a decent after-market CPU Cooler. At 4.5GHz or more, it has no problem outperforming its main two competitors in this price range, the Intel Pentium G4400 and the AMD Athlon X4 845. That said, you do need to spend more money on an after-market CPU Cooler to overclock. Intel only includes a low-profile which isn’t capable of handling serious overclocking.

Don’t plan on overclocking?
At stock frequencies, there are better CPUs at this price. If you value more single-threaded performance, the Intel Pentium G4400, but if you value multi-threaded performance, get the AMD Athlon X4 845.

Ideal for:
– If overclocked: Budget Gaming PCs with a really tight budget.
– Budget Family PCs, to browse the Internet, watch some videos, listen to some music, do some Office work and the like.
– NAS, Streaming PC, Budget server and other workloads requiring a low power consumption.

V.S the Intel Celeron G1840:
The Intel Pentium G4400 is based on a newer architecture (Skylake versus Haswell for the Celeron G3258) and runs at a slightly higher frequency (3.3GHz vs 3.2GHz), so it offers a small boost in performance compared to the Intel G3258 at stock frequencies.

Pros:
– Best single-threaded CPU performance at price point, unless you overclock the Pentium G3258
– Integrated video card, so you don’t require a dedicated video card.
– LGA 1151 socket: You can upgrade to an higher-end Core i3/i5/i7 latest gen Skylake CPUs simply by swapping out your CPU.
– 65W TDP is higher than the G3258 at stock frequencies, but with overclocking, the G3258 will use more power. The AMD Athlon X4 845 also has a 65W TDP, but in real-life scenarios, it uses slightly more power than the Intel Pentium G4400.

Ideal for:
– A budget family PC, if all you want to do is browse the Internet, watch some videos, listen to some music, do some Office work and the like.
– Budget Office PCs
– NAS, Streaming PC, Media server

Note that you want to pair it up with dual-channel (two or four sticks) DDR3 2133MHz RAM for the best performance possible in video games.

If you want an APU with even better integrated video card card performance, I recommend the A10-7860K or the A10-7890K, in order of price and performance.

From a CPU performance point of view, it’s faster overall than an Intel dual-core CPUs, like the Pentium G3258 and while not as powerful, it does trade blows with the Intel Core i3 dual-core + Hyper-Threading CPU in applications that are well multi-threaded.

The Intel Core i3-6100 is far more efficient, using significantly less power than the FX-8300 and thus outputting less heat and running more quietly.

In video games, the Core i3-6100, thanks to its high IPC (Instrutions per Clock) performance of the Skylake architecture, will outperform the FX-8300 at stock frequencies. Gaming performance is highly dependent on IPC performance.

That said, if you overclock the FX-8300 (resulting in higher costs, due to the requirement of a more powerful power supply and after-market CPU Cooler), it will outperform the Core i3-6100 in gaming performance.

Simply put, if you want a simple Gaming CPU, that is highly efficient and don’t want to overclock, the Core i3-6100 is the best pick.

However, if you want a CPU that can handle more demanding program that are well multi-threaded and/or are ready to overclock to get more performance, the FX-8300 is the better choice. Remember that the Core i3-6100 is locked and cannot be overclocked.

Also consider that:
1. The Intel LGA1151 platform offers more recent technology, such as PCI-Express 3.0, M.2 slot, DDR4 support and more.
2. The Intel LGA1151 platform also offers more interesting upgrade options with the more powerful Core i5 and i7 series of CPU. With the AMD AM3+ platform, you’re limited to slightly more powerful FX-83xx CPUs that are no match for Intel’s Core i5/i7 CPUs.

Pros:
– Outstanding single threaded CPU performance (best at this price) thanks to the Intel Skylake architecture.
– 65W TDP is lower than any AMD mainstream processors. Lower power consumption results in less heat, noise (consider an after-market CPU Cooler if you desire even less noise), lower utility bill and less expensive power supply.
– Integrated video card: Dedicated video card not required.

Cons:
– Fully locked: You cannot overclock this CPU. You can however upgrade to a Core i5 or i7 K series CPU if you want to overclock.
– Only two cores with Hyper-Threading: Multi-Threaded CPU performance is good but not great. Not ideal if you need all the CPU multi-threading processing power that you can get, for a workstation for example. Consider the AMD FX-8300 or upgrading to an Intel Core i5 or i7.

Ideal for:
1. A Budget Family PC, as it offers good processor performance at this price.
2. A Budget Gaming PC with a dedicated video card.
3. A NAS, Streaming PC, Budget Server or HTPC, anything with a low power consumption requirement.

2 modules / 4 cores
This is AMD’s third most powerful APU with a quad-core CPU running at 3.6GHz, with a Turbo frequency of 4.0GHz.

The integrated GPU has 512 GPU cores, running at 757MHz, so you get as many GPU cores as the more powerful APUs, but with a slightly lower frequency.

The quad-core design of this AMD processor looks like this: Four CPU cores, with two shared FP/SSE (Floating Point) units.

If you want an APU with an integrated GPU that offers the excellent performance at a lower price than the best APU, this is a great choice.

Note that this is a K Black edition APU, meaning that it’s easy to overclock the CPU part by raising its multiplier. For higher gaming performance, overclocking the GPU part makes more sense.

From a CPU performance point of view, it’s faster overall than an Intel dual-core CPU, like the G4400 and while not as powerful, it does trade blows with the Intel Core i3 dual-core + Hyper-Threading CPU in applications that are well multi-threaded.

2 modules / 4 cores
This is AMD’s most powerful APU with a quad-core CPU running at 4.1GHz, with a Turbo frequency of 4.3GHz.

The integrated GPU has 512 GPU cores, running at 866MHz, which is the most potent integrated GPU solution from AMD.

The quad-core design of this AMD processor looks like this: Four CPU cores, with two shared FP/SSE (Floating Point) units.

If you want an APU with an integrated GPU that offers the best performance possible from AMD, this is it.

Note that this is a K Black edition APU, meaning that it’s easy to overclock the CPU part by raising its multiplier. For higher gaming performance, overclocking the GPU part makes more sense.

From a CPU performance point of view, it’s faster overall than an Intel dual-core CPU, like the G4400 and while not as powerful, it does trade blows with the Intel Core i3 dual-core + Hyper-Threading CPU in applications that are well multi-threaded.

V.S. AMD FX-8350:Most video games only use two to four cores and prioritize single-threaded performance (a domain where Intel dominates AMD) so when it comes to gaming performance, AMD’s FX-8350 is no match for Intel’s Core i5-6500. On top of that, the FX-8350 consumes a lot more power at idle and at load than the Core i5-6500.

While its 8 cores might make it seem like an attractive option for heavy multi-threaded programs, even then, the Core i5-6500 competes or outperforms it thanks to its more modern architecture that offers higher IPC and far higher single-thread performance.

In the end, the Core i5-6500 is just a better choice is the vast majority of cases and this is why I’m recommending it at the $200 price point.

Note that it can be overclocked with a motherboard equipped with a Z170 chipset. You’ll want an after-market CPU Cooler and a more powerful power supply for best results.

Pros:
– Great CPU performance, excellent choice to team up with a dedicated video card if you want to.
– 65W TDP is lower than AMD’s competing CPUs. Lower power consumption results in less heat, noise and you don’t need a more powerful, more expensive power supply.
– Integrated video card, so you don’t require a dedicated video card.

Why I recommend it / V.S. the AMD FX-9590:

High Gaming Performance:
This is the CPU that offers the highest performance for a gaming PC with a one or two graphic/video cards, thanks to its high-frequencies and highly efficient architecture that offers higher single-threaded performance than AMD’s CPUs.

Most video games only use two to four cores and prioritize single-threaded performance so when it comes to gaming performance, AMD’s fastest CPU, the 220W(TDP) FX-9590 is no match for Intel’s Core i7-6700K when it comes to gaming performance.

Simply put, AMD hasn’t updated their high-end FX CPU’s architecture since it launched in September 2011. In the meantime, Intel is trying to launch a new generation of Core i CPUs every year, alternating between a new architecture (higher performance) and a smaller manufacturing process (lower power consumption).

When the first CPU based on the Bulldozer FX architecture came out, they were facing Intel second generation Sandy Bridge Core CPUs, such as the popular Core i5-2500K. The Core i7-6700K is four (!) generations ahead of that, so it has a higher-performance architecture, higher frequencies (4GHz base frequency, 4.2GHz maximum Turbo frequency) and is even more power efficient.

High overall performance:
With 4 Skylake cores and Hyper-Threading, the Core i7-6700K can handle 8 threads simultaneously. With its high performance, it’s a fine choice for a Gaming PC that also gets used as a workstation.

The Core i7-6700K also consumes a lot less power (200W less at load than the AMD FX-9590!), resulting in a PC that consumes less electricity (lower electricity bill) and is less noisy.

It also allows you to spend less money on the power supply because you don’t need one that’s as powerful.

Ready to overclockFinally, it is an unlocked multiplier CPU, so you can easily overclock it (raise its frequency) to raise its performance even more!

Pros:
– Best CPU performance for video games, best choice to team up with dedicated video card(s).
– 91W TDP is lower than AMD’s CPUs and APUs. Lower power consumption results in less heat, noise and you don’t need a more powerful, more expensive power supply.
– Integrated video card, so you don’t require a dedicated video card, unless you want one of course.
– Unlocked: Overclocking is done by raising the multiplier. Simple and easy.

Cons:

– The integrated video card is underwhelming, weak performance, far from a Gaming PC required performance level.
– Note that the Core i7-6700K DOES NOT include a heatsink/fan CPU cooler, you must get your own. Which is a good thing for overclocking anyway.

Ideal for:

1. A High-end Family PC, as it offers very good processor performance at this price.
2. A High-end Gaming PC with a dedicated video card.
3. A Budget Workstation.
4. A Budget Server

Alternative #1: 65W TDP, lower price and slightly lower performance

The Core i7-6700, not to be confused with the Core i7-6700K recommended above, also offers 4 cores with Hyper-Threading, but with lower frequencies (3.4-4GHz vs 4-4.2GHz), a lower TDP (65W vs 91W) and a locked multiplier, at a lower price as well.

It also comes with an Intel stock CPU cooler, unlike the Core i7-6700K.

A fine option for HTPC, small form factor PCs and people who want a Core i7 CPU at a lower price.

Note that it can be overclocked with a motherboard equipped with a Z170 chipset. You’ll want an after-market CPU Cooler and a more powerful power supply for best results.

The Intel Core i7-5820K, with its six cores and Hyper-Threading, can handle 12 threads at the same time, so it’s is a better choice for a Workstation than the Core i7-6700K.

The Core i7-6800K (recommended below) is replacing the Core i7-5820K, but both can be used the same platform, so if you don’t mind slightly lower performance (5% on average), the Core i7-5820K is less expensive than its replacement.

Pros:
– Outstanding CPU performance, capable of handling pretty much anything.
– Unlocked multiplier for easy overclocking.
– Support for quad-channel DDR4 RAM running at 2133MHz.
– 140W TDP is far lower than AMD’s FX-9590 220W TDP. Lower power consumption results in less heat, noise and you don’t need a more powerful, more expensive power supply.

Cons:
– Does not include a CPU Cooler, you must buy your own.
– Support for only 28 lanes of PCI-Express 3.0, can be a bottleneck for 3/4 video cards setups.
– No integrated video card: You must use a dedicated video card.

Ideal for:

1. A Mainstream/High-End Workstation.
2. A Mainstream Server

Avoid for:
– NAS, Streaming PC and other workloads requiring a low power consumption.
– Gaming PCs, the Core i7-6700K is a better choice for 1-2 video cards setups, the Core i7-6800K, 6850K or 6900K are better choices for a 3 or 4 video cards setups.

The Intel Core i7-6800K is the replacement to the Core i7-5820K. It’s based on a newer architecture, Broadwell-E compared to Haswell-E and its base frequency is 100 MHz higher. Overall, you can expect about 5% more performance on average compared to the Core i7-5820K.

If you don’t mind paying the price premium over the Core i7-5820K, the Core i7-6800K is a fine choice.

Pros:
– Outstanding CPU performance, capable of handling pretty much anything.
– Unlocked multiplier for easy overclocking.
– Support for quad-channel DDR4 RAM running at 2400MHz.
– 140W TDP is far lower than AMD’s FX-9590 220W TDP. Lower power consumption results in less heat, noise and you don’t need a more powerful, more expensive power supply.

Cons:
– Does not include a CPU Cooler, you must buy your own.
– Support for only 28 lanes of PCI-Express 3.0, can be a bottleneck for 3/4 video cards setups.
– No integrated video card: You must use a dedicated video card.

Ideal for:

1. A Mainstream/High-End Workstation.
2. A Mainstream Server

Avoid for:
– NAS, Streaming PC and other workloads requiring a low power consumption.
– Gaming PCs, the Core i7-6700K is a better choice for 1-2 video cards setups, the Core i7-6800K, 6850K or 6900K are better choices for a 3 or 4 video cards setup.

The Core i7-6850K is essentially a faster variant of the Core i7-6800K, with the full 40 lanes of PCI-Express 3.0 bandwidth available as well.

Pros:
– Outstanding CPU performance, capable of handling pretty much anything.
– Unlocked multiplier for easy overclocking.
– Support for quad-channel DDR4 RAM running at 2400MHz.
– Support for 40 lanes of PCI-Express 3.0, ideal for Crossfire/SLI with two, three or four video cards.
– 140W TDP is far lower than AMD’s FX-9590 220W TDP. Lower power consumption results in less heat, noise and you don’t need a more powerful, more expensive power supply.

Cons:
– Does not include a CPU Cooler, you must buy your own.
– No integrated video card: You must use a dedicated video card.
– Pretty expensive

About The Author

HR Founder - Computer expert with over 16 years of experience in building, fixing and modifying PCs.
Over the years, I’ve developed a passion for PC hardware and now I enjoy helping others build their own PCs!
In April 2008, I launched Hardware Revolution and ... Read more at my about page

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